Frequently Answered Questions
Whether individuals are just getting to know us or have been with us for years, we seem to get some of these questions repeatedly. We hope that these common answers to questions are helpful for you to learn more about what type of transformation you can expect when we work together.
1. Do you take my insurance?
Fortunately, no we do not. We are "out of network" and non participating with all third party health insurance plans and all services are paid for at time of service or when agreed upon between us and our clients. While we are understanding that this scenario may not work for everyone, we do know that for certain individuals it is the best case scenario for what they need, or at least want. We do not claim that we are better or more qualified than those who are "in-network" and we do not claim that their care is not effective. However, for the type of treatments that we provide and the type of relationship that we strive to have with our clients, we will not get the results as efficiently as we'd like if we did it any other way. Primarily this means that we have a chance, on our watch and on our terms, to figure out how to best serve you. Individuals can still use HSA, Flex Spending and submit these charges for "out of network" insurance coverage. Otherwise, we believe that our care and our relationship is our business. You and us together will make a decision about what's best for you, not some insurance company.
2. I've heard PT stands for pain & torture...will it hurt?
Short answer...we believe that 9 times out of 10, it shouldn't. If you are coming to us in pain we will do our best to not intentionally fight fire with fire. You see the world of pain science is giving us a new understanding of how pain and the brain operate together and that treatments don't have to hurt to be effective. In any case where treatments are a little more intense (i.e. dry needling, exercising to fatigue, doing something new) we will be sure to give you informed consent and let you make the best decision for your situation.
3. What should I wear?
Comfortable or athletic clothing that you will move well in but also that are movable to access shoulders, backs, hips, knees, etc. The shoes that you would typically wear for your most prized activity or vocation are ideal. And no Bears, Cubs, or Bulls gear... :)
4. Is Dry Needling the same thing as Acupuncture?
No. The only thing that is the same is the tool being used. Otherwise, it's about as different as Acupuncture and an oral injection for a dental procedure. You see, an intervention is not solely defined by the tool or even the action. It is defined by intent, what you do before and after the procedure, and obviously what happens during the treatment. With dry needling, we are doing movement based evaluation, orthopedic screening, neurological screening, providing a stimulus to the neuromusculoskeletal system to induce a "local twitch response" and then retesting movement, orthopedic screening, neurological screening and ultimately functional activity. Both acupuncture and dry needling have their place, they both can be effective, but are definitely not the same.
5. Do I need a physician referral?
No. We primarily treat muscloskeletal dysfunction or enhance wellness and performance (especially for Golfers and Fitness Athletes). In either case, you are legally enabled to seek out your individual of choice to work on these issues without physician referral. In any case where we deep a situation outside of our scope of practice or in need of the expertise of a physician, we will refer you out appropriately.
6. How many visits will I need?
This is by far one of our favorite questions. You will need as many visits as YOU need. Because of our model, we typically save people a tremendous amount of time because we rarely see people more than 1x/week. And due to the nature of our model, individuals end up typically seeing results more efficiently than they may originally expect. However, chronic and complex situations always require patience in the process. We also don't believe your care ends when your pain does. This means that wellness, injury prevention, and treating the body as a total operating unit help us see less reoccurence of pain and injury in individuals.
WHAT WE DON'T DO...
1. Schedule as many visits as your insurance will allow.
2. Count exercises for you that you're already doing at home while we look at our computer.
3. Provide interventions without a significant purpose as to why OR without pre and post testing to determine effectiveness every time you're in.
4. Wave our finger at you with a pouty face when you say you haven't been doing your home exercises.
5. Hand you a sheet of cookie cutter exercises that may or may not apply to your situation.
6. Any treatments just because they are cool or trendy and expect we'll make a buck on them.
7. Assume what you want or don't want.
7. Can I get to know you more before I book?
Of course. We offer free discovery visits. This is basically a way for you to meet us, see our space, and ask us any questions you might have in person about us or about your situation before agreeing to schedule an initial consultation. Beyond that, we have content, e-books, and phone consultations to help you make the best decison for you.
8. Why should I pay to see you vs. using my insurance with someone down the road?
You shouldn't do anything without thinking, studying, and inquiring first about if it's the best choice for you. That's all we ultimately are trying to do for people. We don't just "treat" pain. We don't just "fix" problems. We strive to help you make the best decision for you. After you meet us, read our content, and maybe have experienced enough frustration with lack of answers otherwise, hopefully that's the least we do for you is help you make the best decision.
Also, rising deductibles, copays, premiums, and costs of living in general, make it more important for you to be an informed consumer and get efficient results. We believe our model makes it easy for you accomplish both of those objectives and potentially save money down the road without the use for medications, surgeries, and prolonged treatment plans.
9. I've tried so many things, why would this help now?
Many things (treatments, decision making, etc.) are not based on sound evaluation and understanding the "why." They are done simply out of habit, what works well for what a corporation wants, or what will satisfy insurance requirements. We are here solely to satisfy you. We have developed sound clinical reasoning and pattern recognition over time to determine what sort of evaluation needs to apply to certain situations. We never place IQ over EQ. What this means is that we help people "be" and "do", we don't treat diagnoses.
10. What can I do on my own to make this better?
Our pride comes from the ability for individuals to mimic what we do in the clinic to themselves at home in some form or fashion. We believe in empowerment of individuals to take their situation, deem it as less threatening, and give them tools to continually improve it with or without us. We have an extensive video library as well as the technology to make sure people are able to improve well beyond our 4 clinic walls.
11. What's your end goal for your business?
What a fantastic question. One of our very thoughtful, inquisitive clients asked us this just the other day. If we're telling you all the truth as we always do, then I think the goal for this business is to help practitioners thrive in what they're passionate about without chains and restrictions of regulations or insurance so that the consumer can get the best possible care and result around. If this happens, then the business will grow because it will be centered around people doing what they love and building lifelong relationships. Personally, as the owner of the business, I hope to be working with elite level golfer's on the PGA Tour while a highly motivated and well deserving individual or individuals oversee the practice for the times I'm not present (circa 2020-2030). Dream, act, do, repeat. Right?
We hope this FAQ helps you gain a better insight into our practice and if you have any other questions...here's the perfect forum to ask!
Yours in health,
Dr. Eric Wallace, PT, Founder of Motus Rx Physical Therapy